Since we do have a lot of time on our hands, here is a recipe I have been working for a few years, it will be in my next book on chicken. It does have a lot of steps but it is so worth it in the end.
Ingredients
1, 3 to 4 lb. whole chicken cut up
1 onion, chopped
1 Pablono pepper, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
Salt and pepper to taste
5 dried pasilla or ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 cups homemade chicken stock from cooking the chicken above
2 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 1/2 medium onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram, minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
One 3.1-ounce disk Mexican chocolate, chopped
1 can of red beans drained
8 to 10 large white corn tortillas
1 cup of shredded cheese of choice
2 Avocados, sliced
Hand-full of Cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large bowl place the dried chilies and the hot water, set aside to reconstitute. This should take about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Place chicken in a large cheesecloth bag, it should be loosely around the chicken. I was shown this step at a cooking class, and it makes it easier to remove the chicken and strain the stock.
Place the bagged chicken and the balance ingredients from the first section in a large stock and add enough water to completely cover the ingredients, about 8 to 12 cups of water. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until chicken is done and is falling off the bones. Remove chicken, set aside to cool: strain stock and reserve.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
While chicken is cooking toast the tortillas in the 3 sections until crisp and golden, tear into pieces and set aside.
In a skillet over medium heat, add oil and onions and red bell pepper and sauté until soft. Now add the garlic, tomato paste, and sauté for an additional 1 minute or so.
Now add the sautéed onions mixture, crisp tortillas, chilies, peanut butter, spices, and herbs. Now add chicken stock to a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce, and simmer until 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add chocolate, stir until melted and combined.
As the sauce is simmering, debone and shredded the chicken and place in a large bowl. Add beans to the bowl, and 1 cup of the mole sauce, toss to coat and combine.
In a baking dish, spread a bit of the mole sauce on the bottom, a very thin layer.
Warm the large corn tortillas and start to assemble the enchiladas. Place chicken mixture in the center of tortillas, spread, and roll and place seam side down in a baking dish, repeat until done. Pour about ½ cup of the mole sauce on top, just enough to coat, then top with shredded cheese, cover and bake for about 15 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese is golden.
Remove and let stand for 5 minutes then serve and garnish with avocado and cilantro – serve
Enjoy cooking
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